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Hello from London!

28DL Member

So I'm an undergrad anthropologist at UCL and this year i'm doing a module called anthropology of the built enviornment which is basically a discussion about how we relate to architecture and how architecture relates to us. We get to write an essay on anything we like and after reading Bradley Garrett's 'Explore Everything' i'm really interested in urban exploration. Although I liked Bradley's book I wanna stray away from his main argument which basically framed urban exploration as a political act, reclaiming the private sphere and making it public, making cities more accessible. Not that I don't agree with it but just want to talk about something new!

I'm particularly interested in the idea of urban explorers documenting and photographing places which everyone else seems to have forgotten about. Basically if it wasn't for you guys finding these areas then they would be erased from the earth's memory and I actually think this is a really really important point and one that is perhaps overlooked a bit too much.

My apologies for the long-winded brief but I'm looking for anyone tho is willing to sit down with me and share their views and opinions on urban exploration. You don't have to tell me about your experiences at all if you don't want to. I'm just curious to see what you as the urban explorer thinks of the above point. Doesn't have to be anything more than a chat over a pint and of course it's on me! and if you don't drink alcohol then we can sort something out.

28DL Member

Good to hear you are interested in urban exploring and even studying it academically!

I am currently preparing to writing an undergraduate dissertation in politics of pedestrianisation at Durham university. One of the theories I have been most gripped by was that of the Situation Internationalists who were most active around the May '68 students uprisings. One of their main concepts is "psycho-geography" and dérive which is basically about re-appropriating the city by having spontaneous adventures adventures throughout it. They urge people to break out of their passivity and become autonomous individual actors within urban spaces. This is something I have engaged in alone and with friends in many cities around Europe and so was particularly exciting and interested when I came across an established theory and description of this practice. I am currently in London staying with a friend near Baker street who is also a weather urban explorer. Would be great to meet up with you tomorrow, Sunday, during the day if possible as I will be leaving in the evening.

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One of their main concepts is "psycho-geography" and dérive which is basically about re-appropriating the city by having spontaneous adventures throughout it. They urge people to break out of their passivity and become autonomous individual actors within urban spaces.

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28DL Member

Good to hear you are interested in urban exploring and even studying it academically!

I am currently preparing to writing an undergraduate dissertation in politics of pedestrianisation at Durham university. One of the theories I have been most gripped by was that of the Situation Internationalists who were most active around the May '68 students uprisings. One of their main concepts is "psycho-geography" and dérive which is basically about re-appropriating the city by having spontaneous adventures adventures throughout it. They urge people to break out of their passivity and become autonomous individual actors within urban spaces. This is something I have engaged in alone and with friends in many cities around Europe and so was particularly exciting and interested when I came across an established theory and description of this practice. I am currently in London staying with a friend near Baker street who is also a weather urban explorer. Would be great to meet up with you tomorrow, Sunday, during the day if possible as I will be leaving in the evening.

Let us know,
Thomas & Tom
07931017667

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Hi Thomas & Tom,

Good to hear from you...glad to see someone replied!
That all sounds great. The situationists, psycho-geography etc is something I've read about fleetingly but not looked into properly. So I'd love to meet up and talk to you guys about this but unfortunately I'm out of the country until the 27th December. Any chance you guys will be around London again? And if not, where are you mainly based?